First time here? Watch this video! • We have a brand new Instagram Account. Follow us and keep in touch! • Authors! Need a book interior? Visit INeedABookInterior.com • For publishing tips, visit our Blog

Holly Ovenden

Designer, Illustrator, Letterer
Holly is an award-winning freelance designer and illustrator specialising in book covers. She was shortlisted for ‘Designer of the Year’ at The British Book Awards and selected by The Bookseller as a Rising Star (2021). She has won two Acadamy of British Cover Design awards (2021 & 2022) and her work as been featured in The Guardian, AIGA Eye on Design, New York Magazine’s -The Strategist, Creative Review, Print Magazine, Lit Hub, The Type Directors Club and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair – Jackets Off exhibition. She recently redesigned and illustrated 13 Agatha Christie ‘Miss Marple’ classic book covers for HarperCollins USA, as well as the cover for Marple, a new short story collection featuring twelve iconic writers from the across the literary spectrum. Before going freelance in 2020, she worked as an in-house Book Cover Designer at Penguin General, a literary imprint at Penguin Random House UK. She now works with large and independent publishers both in the UK and internationally. The majority of my design and illustration work is for adult-trade fiction books, but I also enjoy working on children’s and YA covers, as well as non-fiction and cookery.
Show More

Holly Ovenden

Designer, Illustrator, Letterer
Holly is an award-winning freelance designer and illustrator specialising in book covers. She was shortlisted for ‘Designer of the Year’ at The British Book Awards and selected by The Bookseller as a Rising Star (2021). She has won two Acadamy of British Cover Design awards (2021 & 2022) and her work as been featured in The Guardian, AIGA Eye on Design, New York Magazine’s -The Strategist, Creative Review, Print Magazine, Lit Hub, The Type Directors Club and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair – Jackets Off exhibition. She recently redesigned and illustrated 13 Agatha Christie ‘Miss Marple’ classic book covers for HarperCollins USA, as well as the cover for Marple, a new short story collection featuring twelve iconic writers from the across the literary spectrum. Before going freelance in 2020, she worked as an in-house Book Cover Designer at Penguin General, a literary imprint at Penguin Random House UK. She now works with large and independent publishers both in the UK and internationally. The majority of my design and illustration work is for adult-trade fiction books, but I also enjoy working on children’s and YA covers, as well as non-fiction and cookery.
Show More
work-nights
marigold-mind-laundry
Shalimar_HollyOvenden-min
HollyO2
AfterSappho_HollyOvenden
AllTheHouses_HollyOvenden
Darling_HollyOvenden
Marple
HollyOvenden-9
HollyO
HollyOvenden-5
HollyOvenden-1
HollyO3-min
all-men-want-to-know-design-holly-ovenden
HollyAmazonSeries5
HollyAmazonSeries4
HollyAmazonSeries3
HollyAmazonSeries2
HollyAmazonSeries1-min
HollyOvenden-8
HollyOvendenSarahland
AmostRomance
HollyOvenden-2
HollyOvenden-6
HollyOvenden-3
TheAcrobatsofAgra_HollyOvenden
SwallowingGeography
Genre
Color
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.

Designer Requirements

Only a carefully curated group of designers are given access to the creative briefs posted on the INABC Jobs Board. This system ensures that clients receive top-notch, focused proposals from professionals whose talents have been vetted

All designers who will be bidding on your cover design have applied to receive job notifications and have been approved by the INABC admin team. Our approved designers:

  • Are professional book cover designers, not simply generalist graphic designers.
  • Have been working in the industry for a minimum of 3 years, usually more.
  • Must demonstrate a contemporary aesthetic, creating work that feels current and relevant to today’s book design market. We seek professionals who stay informed on industry trends while pushing boundaries with innovative, forward-thinking designs. Our designers know that our clients are not looking for designs that feel “dated.”
  • Regularly and consistently work on multiple book cover projects each month. Over years of designing at this pace, they’ve built portfolios showcasing a substantial body of published work (at least 20 covers for review from adult genres).
  • Are committed to delivering high-quality, original designs tailored to each client’s unique vision. 
  • Do NOT sell or offer book cover premades. At INABC, we do not condone the offering of pre-made book covers. We are fans of highly bespoke cover work.
  • Do NOT use AI-generated imagery in their commercial work.
  • Have accessible online portfolios showcasing book cover work that are easy for anyone to review.
  • Have extensive experience working with self-publishing authors AND commercial presses.
  • Are available and excited to receive these weekly briefs.

If you are contacted by a designer that doesn’t align with the requirements described above, we ask that you please contact the INABC admin team at ineedabookcover.assistant@gmail.com.

Designer Disclaimer

INABC is not a full-service design agency. It’s a curated directory designed to help visitors identify the designers behind some pretty amazing book covers.

If you reach out to a talented designer from this site, INABC does not take responsibility for the professional interactions that may follow. Each designer in our directory sets their own proposals and contracts. We encourage you to review a designer’s portfolio carefully to make sure they’re a good fit for your project and to communicate your expectations clearly with your chosen designer. Designers and clients are expected to draft, negotiate, and sign their own contracts to ensure that expectations, deliverables, and rights are clearly outlined before any work begins.

While we do our best to curate a talented community, INABC is not involved in the collaborations that follow, and, therefore, we cannot guarantee the outcome of individual projects with specific designers. If you run into an issue with a designer that you find from using INABC, we are open to learning about your experience, but ultimately, INABC will not be involved in any specific disputes. For more information, visit the For Authors page and read our Terms & Conditions.

Subscribe

Join our mailing list to receive a monthly summary highlighting recent cover uploads and blog posts.

Name(Required)

Job Alerts

Sign up to get notifications about cover jobs posted on INABC.

Name(Required)